Wheeling, W. Va. - Ahead of the 2024 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Tournament, the Wheeling University Volleyball team (25-9) had three players honored with All-Region awards from the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA). On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released their All-Region honors and the Cardinals picked up three more All-Region honors. Karly Niesen and Riley Kindall each earned AVCA All-Region honors, while Mady Winters took home Honorable Mention All-Region honors.
Niesen takes home her second All-Region honor of the fall and her fourth career All-Region honor from the AVCA. She earned AVCA All-Region distinctions in each of the last three seasons, and put together yet another strong campaign in 2024. She finished second in the nation with 1,355 assists, while sitting 16th with a 10.93 assists/set average. She earned First Team All-MEC honors for the third time in her career, and added a D2CCA First Team All-Region honor for the second time in her career. Niesen helped lead the Cardinals to a .256 hitting percentage throughout the year, including 12 matches where the team hit .300 or better. Niesen has been a consistent presence in the Cardinal lineup, and looks to continue to lead the team into the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Tournament.
Kindall is also earning her second All-Region honor of the 2024 Fall season, and her second career honor from the AVCA. She was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region player in 2023, and cracks the official All-Region list for the first time in her career. Kindall was a double-double machine for the Cardinals this season, picking up 18 double-doubles in 34 matches played. Kindall averaged nearly a double-double per match, with 3.61 kills/set and 3.69 digs/set, while being the team's leading attacker with 1,223 total attacks and the fourth most efficient hitter with a .236 hitting percentage. She ranks 20th in the nation with 429 kills and sits top 50 in the nation with her 439 digs. She will be a key piece to the Cardinal's success as they chase down a regional championship.
Winters rounds out the list, taking home her second All-Region honor of the fall and her fourth career All-Region award from the AVCA. She was on the AVCA All-Region team each of the last three seasons, and takes home her first Honorable Mention All-Region award from the organization. Winters continued her dominance on the offensive side of the ball, finishing second on the team with a .333 hitting percentage and third on the team with 260 kills. However, her biggest contributions would come on the defensive side of the ball, where she is two blocks away from her career-high. She sits tied for 15th in the nation in total blocks (137.0), while sitting 12th with 113 block assists. Winters has been a leader in the middle of the net and looks to continue that success.
The Wheeling University Athletic Department has had four athletes earn All-Region honors this season, with three of those four athletes winning multiple awards. The Wheeling Volleyball team has brought home a total of six All-Region honors, with Kindall, Niesen, and Winters each earning two honors between the D2CCA and the AVCA. Earlier in the fall, Wheeling Women's Soccer player Mary DiFonzo would earn D2CCA Second Team All-Region honors to round out the award winners.
The Wheeling University Volleyball team returns to action on Thursday, December 5th, when they take on Pitt-Johnstown with tip-off at 11 AM.
